Blackhearts & Sparrows —

Democratising the wine store.

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Entrepreneurial brother-sister duo, Paul and Jessica Ghaie opened their first wine store in Windsor back in 2006. Their approachable, hands-on style instantly resonated with customers and Blackhearts & Sparrows changed Melbourne’s idea of what wine retail could be.

Fast-forward to 2016, and with another six stores and further expansion on the cards, the Ghaies were pausing to consider some important questions: How does a friendly neighbourhood wine storeretain its essence and sense of local identity as the business continues to expand across multiple post codes? And is this even possible? So, it first needed to get clear about its purpose, define its strategic vision and establish a coherent brand story.

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We needed to get under the skin of the retail offering and environment to understand the customer experience and look at how the brand was coming to life within each location. This meant decamping from the studio to inhabit Blackhearts stores and neighbourhoods, just like a local would. It showed us exactly what was working and what wasn’t.

For Paul and Jessica, it was all about ‘democratising’ wine, eschewing the pretension and keeping things fun. But these values had come at the expense of consistency and a coherent brand story. We responded with a strategic identity overhaul across their physical spaces and interiors, signage, packaging, product offering and communications, allowing the brand to speak more confidently, but with enough wiggle room to allow the local personalites of each store to shine.

With a more consistent and integrated approach, Blackhearts have learnt to communicate their story with better clarity, and are now positioned to continue on their trajectory with a stronger sense of confidence and purpose. Most of all, they now know that it’s possible to grow up and evolve without diluting the feisty independent spirit that people loved you for in the first place.

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Complex, robust, full-bodied, sharp, dry, rich, or smooth

“This was about a whole lot more than just an identity overhaul; it was about a brand owning its values and being clear in its purpose”

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A flexible geometric patten features across the collateral and packaging